INTERVIEW: I SEE RIVERS — Music Musings & Such

INTERVIEW:

I SEE RIVERS

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THE fantastic I SEE RIVERS...

have been discussing their latest track, Helios, and how it came together; whether there is going to be more material arriving and whether they share musical tastes – they recommend a rising act we need to have a look out for.

I wanted to know if there were any gigs approaching and which artist they would support on the road if they could; how they unwind away from music and how their own sound has evolved through the years – I SEE RIVERS select a few great tracks to end the interview with.

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Hi, guys. How are you? How has your week been?

ISR: Hello! We’re good, thank you! Our week has been very exciting, with the release of the first track from our upcoming album (Helios) - and the amount of lovely feedback has been a bit overwhelming…really!

For those new to your music; can you introduce yourselves, please?

We are Eline (keys, vocals); Gøril (guitar, percussion and vocals) and Lill (percussion, vocals) and, together, we’re I SEE RIVERS. We’ve dubbed our music ‘Float-Pop’, as it floats and meanders between bouncy Pop, jangly Indie and airy Folk.

Helios is your new track. What is the story behind it?

Helios is the Greek god of the sun and, according to the legend, he would appear in the sky each dawn, bringing the day as he rode his golden chariot across the clouds. In the context of this song Helios, or the sun, is meant to represent a person that you think the world of, someone that you see through rose-tinted glasses before coming to terms with the illusion and the cathartic feeling that follows that realisation.

I understand there is an album coming next year. Can you reveal anything regarding the songs and themes that will be addressed?

We are actually still writing for the album as we speak, so it’s a bit difficult to illuminate what the album will be about as a whole right now. What we do know is that, sonically-speaking, it will be a different vibe than our previous E.P.s – we strive to evolve and push ourselves as songwriters and musicians, but we also believe that the purpose of any recording isn’t ‘perfection’ or anything like that, but rather to capture where we are as humans and musicians at that particular moment.

PHOTO CREDIT: Jodie Canwell

How did I SEE RIVERS get together?

Even though we’re all from Norway (although from opposite sides), we didn’t meet until five years ago, when we all went to Liverpool to study. We quickly became good friends and formed the band halfway through our first year at uni.

It is hard to detect clear influences in your own music. What sort of music do you all like listening to? What music were you raised on?

We come from quite different musical backgrounds and our influences vary between the three of us but, collectively, we have a huge love for Sufjan Stevens, Frank Ocean and Fleet Foxes.

How do you think your sound has changed and evolved since the start?

When we first started out, our songs were very heavily based around an acoustic guitar and our vocal harmonies. But, since our first recording session with Owain Jenkins in StudiOwz back in 2016 - where we started to experiment with different sounds and instrumentation -, it has gradually progressed and evolved. It’s hard to say what exactly it has evolved into, but we’ve moved further away from the acoustic, folky sound as we find it exciting to be more bold and busy.

PHOTO CREDIT: Sian Adler/Horizons / Gorwelion

Have you got a favourite memory from your time in music so far – the one that sticks in the mind?

Because we’re very close friends and equally invested in the band, everything we experience together just get more exciting and fun as we get to share it with each other. We’ve been super-lucky as to experience a lot of ridiculously cool things together; but one of the most surreal things that’s stuck with us was when we played Belladrum Festival in Inverness three years ago. We’d hardly played in Scotland before, and didn’t expect many people to show up to see our set, but fifteen minutes before we even went on stage the entire tent was completely packed – by the end of our set thousands of people had showed up and we didn’t really know how that happened.

Absolutely ridiculous.

Which albums from all of music mean the most to the band (and why)?

As I said previously, our taste in music varies a lot between us. However, the album we’ve definitely played the most in our car on our way to gigs is Frank Ocean’s Channel Orange.

PHOTO CREDIT: Ollie Couling

If you could support any musician alive today, and choose your own rider, what would that entail?

SUFJAN STEVENS.

What advice would you give to new artists coming through?

I think every artist’s story and experience is different; but for us it was crucial to get out and play outside of the city limits. In addition to this, I think collaboration with other people is both SUPER-FUN and key to keeping things exciting and new.

PHOTO CREDIT: Jodie Canwell

Do you have tour dates coming up? Where can we catch you play?

We have put aside quite a bit of time this summer to write for our upcoming album, but we do have a few lovely gigs this month that we’re looking forward to:

14.06: OSLO, Kulturhuset (Norway)

15.06: BERGEN, Bergenfest (Norway)

21.06: SOLVA, Unearthed in a Field Festival

28.06: CARDIFF, Clwb Ifor Bach

What is a typical gig like for you guys? What might we expect if we come and see you perform?

We love playing live and as our sound is constantly evolving; so is our live set. At the moment, we all wish we had at least one more hand to use live as we’re trying to stay as busy as possible on stage with the new instrumentation. In addition to seeing us trying to imitate octopuses, I think you can expect a high-energy performance with a lot of bouncing and laughter.